


Caught

by Pikamiya



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 04:05:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15111449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pikamiya/pseuds/Pikamiya
Summary: It's hard not to love Aiba Masaki, Nino knows it better than most. And if Nino isn't the most lovable person ever, he didn't think it mattered, as long as he had Masaki in his life.Until the foundation of everything he thought he knew is rocked by the appearance of another in their lives.





	Caught

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MagiCraft](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagiCraft/gifts).



> As always, this would be absolutely impossible without amh1988. I am thankful for her existence every day. ♥  
> Also important to note; the entirety of this fic was originally written while I was enjoying a writer's retreat day at the residence of KSW. The entire first draft would've been non-existent if she hadn't had to work that day on my vacation at her home. Special thanks to Rufio, a true writer's cat.  
> \---  
> Brace yourself.
> 
> OH ALSO THIS IS IN HONOR OF AMI'S BIRTHDAY! I FORGOT BECAUSE IT'S SO LATE.

Nino was seven when Aiba moved in next door, and he was just excited that it wasn’t another little girl. The entire neighborhood was full of them; from Kaoru-chan on the other side straight to the end of the street, nothing but little girls in pink smocks with ponytails. Nino’s older sister had plenty of playmates, but he had cultivated an “indoor” style of living that, although it gives his mother fits, allowed him to pretend that he preferred playing video games by himself rather than riding his bike outside. 

He watched out the window, his heart going pitter-pat, as the movers brought in what seemed like actual tons of paraphernalia for young boys. Two bicycles, blue with green trim; a trampoline; a race-car shaped bed; a toddler bed in red. 

Nino ran into the kitchen, tugging on his mom’s apron as she put together the last bits of lunch. 

“Mama, can I go meet the new neighbors?” 

“Kazu-chan, not right now. It’s lunchtime. There will be plenty of time to meet them, I promise. Hideyoshi-chan at the market told me that Hana-chan told her that they have bought the house and have just leased the building at the end of the street to open a Chinese market.” 

Kazu, obedient, settled into his chair at the small table, mind racing with the opportunities that the boy next door signified. After quickly slurping down his soba and chomping through his veggies, his ears perked as the noise level outside increased; the moving truck’s engine rumbled loudly and then quickly purred away into the distance.

This time, he didn’t even stop to get his mother’s permission; he burst out of the door in the side of the house, racing along the path and through the gate, sliding against the neighbor’s fence until he reached the front door of their house, grinning slyly as no shouts of “Kazu~” followed him and called him back to the house. He had made it safely. 

Not wanting to make any noise that his mother’s abnormally sensitive ears would pick up, he knocked a distinct pattern, pan pan pan, pan, pan, quietly. He repeated the pattern again, leaning his ear against the door and trying desperately to pick up any sign of boy children inside. 

“Whatcha doing?” the sudden voice surprised him, and he jumped quickly and spun around, slipping a little and flailing his arms. 

An arm reached out quickly, grabbing him with a warm hand and helping him regain balance, settling him firmly on his own two feet. His eyes rose, rising slightly above his own height and meeting the warmest pair of brown eyes he had ever seen, above a mouth smiling broadly on the boy slightly taller than himself. 

“I’m Aiba Masaki, but you can call me Masaki,” the boy continued to smile at him in greeting. 

“Kazu. I mean, Ninomiya Kazunari, but everyone calls me Kazu,” is Nino’s simple reply. 

~~~

Nino’s heart warms again as he thinks back to their simple beginning. Now, twenty years later, the simple friendship has grown into a simple love. Naturally, in high school they had both explored other relationships, until Aiba had invited Nino to live with him when he was accepted into the Library and Information Science program at Keio. Aiba had recently finished his own certification courses and had started teaching athletic classes at a gym around Shiba Park, procuring his own apartment nearby. 

It had seemed like fate was offering them a hand to Nino, and he gratefully and happily accepted. On Aiba’s salary, they weren’t able to afford anything more than a one bedroom apartment; in the same vein, they couldn’t afford a couch or a second bed. Nino will never know if it was years of pent-up interest finally being expressed after living in a small town on the outskirts of Chiba their entire lives, or if the close quarters acted like a pressure cooker. He just knows that one thing led to another and, well, that was that. 

Nino finally finishes shelving the last book on his cart, stretching his back with a groan. As the newest librarian on staff at the Minato Library, it was more likely that he would be found shelving books or assisting with programs rather than doing reference work or getting some time to plan any programming himself. He didn’t mind, though, because being on the floor gave him the ability to talk to teens about video games in the teen space or help his favorite patrons find books on their subject of choice that day. 

Speaking of… 

“Good evening, Oh-chan,” Nino laughed as the older man spun towards him, nearly dropping his book but managing to juggle it in just such a way that he caught it on his knee before scooping it back into his arms. 

“Hi, Nino-kun,” Ohno replied. Although he looked half asleep, Nino knew he had been a quarter of the way through the book on obscure fish in the Sea of Japan when he had arrived earlier that morning, and right now he was much closer to the end pages than not. 

“Learn anything interesting?” 

Ohno’s eyes opened a fraction wider as he began describing the precise depths needed to fish up a Blackfish Flounder. Nino, as always delighted to watch others enjoy themselves, leans against the stacks as the other man talks about the best ways to prepare flounder and other flatfish. 

Several moments later, Ohno has moved on to a lecture on octopus and their related cousins, but suddenly trails off, averting his eyes from Nino’s and collecting his things. Confused, Nino straightens up and feels a familiar hand land on his shoulder. His grin is instantaneous as he turns and greets Aiba, freshly scrubbed after a day training others how to do exercise, smelling like pine forests and mint. Aiba talks excitedly about his new client, Akari-chan, while Nino gathers his satchel and 3DS from his small cubicle. The other librarians working smile indulgently at the pair, as Nino feigns interest in Akari-chan’s amazing ability to do bench squats on her third day of training with completely correct form. 

“Hey, Nino, Akari-chan’s best friend is named Shuri-san. They met when they were neighbors in the same apartment complex! Isn’t that funny, just like us?” 

Nino’s heart stutters as he nods assent; yes, they are best friends, but… 

“Well, Akari-chan said that Shuri-san is free tomorrow night, and I know you don’t work late shift until the day after. Will you come out with us, please? Akari-chan’s the type that won’t go out alone with anyone until after her friends meet him, and she’s so cute, Nino!” 

Nino nods, but tiny fissures begin forming along the surface of his heart… It’s fine. He thinks. She’s just interesting and shiny and Aiba’s essentially a magpie…

Nino reminds himself, fervently, that although he had not known Aiba to date anyone else, they had never actually discussed monogamy or only dating each other. It was an oversight, to be sure, but not something that couldn’t be overcome. He follows Aiba on to the train with renewed lightness of his heart; it’s just a miscommunication, a misunderstanding. 

As Aiba starts making dinner preparations in their tiny kitchen, Nino’s mind wanders down to the mistakes he made that could’ve stopped this; the ways where he wouldn’t have had to think about how to “seduce” his lover back to him.

When Aiba’s Koshien dreams were squelched in the ninth inning of the final game against their regional rival, Nino should have said “you’re the real winner in my heart, Aiba,” instead of “That really sucks, idiot.” 

When Aiba was considering whether to try to coach baseball or become a personal trainer, Nino should have realized that Aiba having his hands on people to put them into proper stances and positions was going to cause him trouble one day; he should have told him to go into coaching.

When Aiba decided to work for a gym outside of Shiba Park, Nino should have told him to try for a job at the Sports Complex instead. 

Nino should have applied to and been accepted by Hokkaido University instead, and asked Aiba to come with him. 

Several moments later, Nino has gone through every “what if” that he can imagine. His heart knows that he can’t change the past, but maybe if he makes things clear enough… 

Nino comes back to the present as Aiba lets him know that dinner is ready. The corners of his mouth tick upward again as he watches Aiba, rice bowl in one hand, climb over the back of the small loveseat to catch the baseball game currently on the TV. He grabs his own dinner, enjoying the delicious aroma as he circles around to join Aiba to watch the game. 

The key, he thinks, is playing it cool. Sure, it kind of stings that being available for Aiba wasn’t “enough,” but there’s time to fix it. Aiba tends to over-react, and if he acts like he’s unaffected then it’ll be easier to help Aiba understand how much he means to Nino, how hard it is for Nino to really understand why he would ever agree to go out with Akari-chan when he has Nino, here. 

He clears his throat, and Aiba jumps into the silence. 

“Hanshin Tigers are up six! Six whole runs and it’s only the third inning!” His exuberance would usually be catching, so Nino drops the heavy thoughts and becomes invested in the present moment instead. 

“Against the Giants?” He settles on the couch, shoveling rice into his mouth with feigned nonchalance, watching Aiba’s shoulders relax out of the corner of his eye. The game continues, with the Tigers remaining ahead, even though the final four innings saw the Giants score three runs and nearly a triple. After Nino finishes his dinner, he takes his bowl back into the kitchen, grabbing each of them a beer and handing one to Aiba before reclaiming his spot. 

As the game winds down, Nino turns back to Aiba, only to see him stretching, Nino’s gaze following the lines of his body, stomach and heart warm with the comfortable routine. Sure, this Akari has Aiba’s attention right now, but he has Aiba’s time and a shared history.

Eventually, the post-game review ends and Aiba grabs his towel and a change of clothes, heading out to the shower and washroom at the end of the hall. Nino sighs, picking up the few things remaining on the floor by the couch; a half-finished can of Sapporo Ichiban, one of Aiba’s chopsticks. He rinses out the can, adding it to the recycling, and puts the chopstick in the sink with the other dishes for Aiba to handle in the morning.

Nino heads to the bedroom and casts off his work clothes quickly but carefully collecting them to be placed on the nearby rack to avoid wrinkles. He pulls on some pajama pants and crawls into bed, eyes squeezing shut tightly as his nose picks up his and Aiba’s combined scent. 

Twenty minutes later, Aiba crawls into bed behind him like usual, snuggling close and draping his arm across Nino’s hip. Aiba’s comforting presence surrounds him, as Aiba burrows his face into Nino’s shoulder, breath tickling the back of Nino’s neck. 

Nino’s heartbeat thunders, so loud he is sure that Aiba can hear it. He hasn’t been this aware of their closeness in a very long time, and it burns and dances across the surface of his skin. Aiba seems unaffected, and his snuggling motions give way to a slow and steady pattern of breathing in and out. 

Nino takes an arm from under his chin, running down Aiba’s arm, and he threads their fingers together. Holding his breath, he waits for Aiba’s breathing to hitch, for him to stir, but he continues to sleep undisturbed. Nino shifts, rolling onto his back, and adjusting Aiba’s sleeping head to fall on his shoulder as he wraps his right arm around him, keeping their fingers together and Aiba close. 

He buries his nose in Aiba’s hair, breathing in deeply, and murmuring the words that are so hard for him to say when the other is awake and listening, but that if he had mustered up the courage earlier, he lambasts himself, maybe he’d never have heard the name Akari. 

“I love you.” 

Aiba’s sleep continues, uninterrupted. Eventually, Nino disentangles their fingers, turning onto his side and plumping up his pillow. Tomorrow is a new day. 

~~

When Nino awakes, his alarm beeping obnoxiously, Aiba has already dressed and left the apartment. Nino has a moment of panic that he is running late, but after an adrenaline-fueled leap from the bed, remembers that Aiba had started a new boot camp this week and would be beating Nino out the door for the next few weeks. 

He heads to the kitchen sink and pulls his toothbrush out of the holder, scrubbing at his teeth with all of his energy as he thinks about the day ahead; he needs to meet with Katori-san regarding a spot of teen programming he’s pseudo-in charge of for next week - he’s thinking something D&D-esque but has to clear it with his supervisors first. As his first solo program, he’s hoping that a walk through with Katori-san will help relieve the nervousness.

He tugs on his shoes and heads to the door, grabbing his phone from the charging basket nearby and noticing he has a message for the first time. He swipes to it, heart stopping when he notices that it’s from Aiba and it’s a picture of him with a woman, without a doubt the dreaded Akari-chan. 

“See you tonight! Pastaione, at 7!” the attached message reads. Nino grumbles at Aiba, but reminds himself that since this is Aiba’s choice to eat out instead of at home, their unspoken agreement means that Aiba will cover the cost. Still irritated, Nino shoves the phone into his pocket and closes and locks the door behind him. He has ten minutes to make it to the station before his train, and after he rushes to arrive there, he has a solid three minutes to formulate a response before his phone loses signal in the subway tunnel. 

At the last second, he types in a quick “okay,” before hopping on his train and heading towards work. 

During his morning break, he notices he has several missed messages from Aiba. Usually, the thought that the other man had been messaging him so much would cause Nino general annoyance; doesn’t the idiot know that he’s at work? But today, he feels a sharp pang when he opens each of them, getting to learn another Akari fact and occasionally something sprinkled in about Shuri, as well. His dread over the evening continues to grow, and he starts regretting the moment he saw the moving truck back when he was a child. 

After lunch, he meets with Katori-san, who agrees to his tabletop game program with enthusiasm. Nino learns some surprising facts, like Katori-san has only ever played as a chaotic neutral halfling bard; he would have pegged him as a lawful good barbarian. The afternoon passes pleasantly, with Nino able to influence the ladies in the purchasing department that their technology section absolutely needs a Nintendo Switch and that it would be worth adding the Dragon Quest games to their catalog. 

Eventually, it’s time for his evening book return cycle, and as he nears the last book on his cart he very nearly runs into Ohno. As always, the other man is nose-deep into a book, but this time on art from various cultures. He’s dressed in what Nino assumes is his work attire: suit pants, long sleeved, button up shirt, loosened tie. Nino smiles, delighted for the distraction, and today decides to sit down next to Ohno-kun.

He’s extremely quiet as he pulls out the chair, settling down and turning his body in such a way that he can study the other man’s face while he reads. Long fingers reach out and slowly turn the page, like it’s begun the process before he’s quite finished, with a long pause with the page half over before a sudden quick shift. Nino’s study reveals the very tip of Ohno’s tongue tucked into the corner of his mouth, slipping back inside with every page turn and gradually revealing itself again. 

As Ohno’s eyes shift from one page to the other, he catches sight of Nino and is startled out of his chair, nearly falling on the ground to the other side. Nino laughs as he reaches out a hand and helps pull him up, and Ohno’s quieter chuckles join in. 

They remain that way for a little while, chatting about random things among a variety of topics, before Nino’s phone dings again and his attention is pulled away. He gasps a little when he realizes the time; he only has a few minutes to finish up at work before he needs to head towards the Italian restaurant to meet up with Aiba, Akari, and Shuri. The harsh dread in his stomach returns and Ohno can’t help to notice the change come over his face. 

“Is…something wrong, Kazu-chan?” Ohno’s voice is soft. After their second meeting, when Nino inadvertently called the older man “Oh-chan,” he had given Ohno permission to call him the name only his mother uses as apology. The casual way Ohno uses the nickname, like he’s a close confidant already, invites Nino to spill out his current troubles, to confide in Ohno Satoshi in a way he hasn’t to anyone in a long time. But, he’s all too aware as another second ticks by, he doesn’t have the time. 

“Not really, Oh-chan, but thank you for asking. I have to meet Aiba-kun for a double date and I didn’t realize the time had gotten away from me.” 

Looking at his phone while tapping out an answer, Nino misses the darkness that briefly passes over Ohno’s face, and by the time he glances back Oh-chan’s calm smile has returned. 

“Well, I hope you have a great evening, Ninomiya-san,” Ohno’s quick to return to his book, thumbing through and opening up to a section on North American Indigenous art. He is mumbling the words to himself, tossing a wave in Nino’s direction as he moves to leave. 

For the second time that day, Nino rushes to catch a train that he has no desire to ride. 

When he arrives at the restaurant, he is the last of his party to be seated. The hostess brings him to the table, gesturing at the empty seat across from Aiba and between the two women. Nino immediately begins comparing himself to the woman from the picture, seated at Nino’s left and Aiba’s right. She has a girl-next-door face, with a wide smile and gentle eyes. Her long black hair falls in soft waves to the middle of her back, the front cut in a stylish swooped bang. She greets Nino with a sweetness that highlights his usual bitterness, and he responds kindly while barely hanging on to the contents of his stomach. 

“Akari-chan, Shuri-san, this is Ninomiya Kazunari-kun, my best friend. Nino-kun, this beautiful lady is Kinoshita Akari-chan.” 

Nino’s eyes rip away from Aiba, suddenly finding the ice floating in his water to be of intense interest. 

“And this other lovely lady is Watanabe Shuri-san, Akari-chan’s best friend.” Akari and Aiba titter at each other as Nino’s eyes meet those of his “date” for the evening, mind flashing through all the ways that he is not best friends with Aiba. How best friends don’t know the taste of each other’s mouths, the shape of each other’s bodies. How best friends don’t know the positions the other likes, exactly how to touch each other to get to completion. 

He realizes that he must have an odd expression on his face when he meets Shuri’s eyes and they widen and then narrow in contemplation. He shakes his head and smiles his most charming smile, nodding his head and starting the standard get-to-know-you questions. Shuri graduated high school and has lived in Tokyo her entire life; she likes to read cell-phone novels in her spare time, she is a dog-groomer at a pet store right on the outskirts of Minato. 

“Oh, Aiba-kun had a dog once, a giant beast that he swears was a shiba inu but was actually a horse,” with simple words, Nino is able to pull the other half of their group back into the conversation, avoiding the majority of an awkward one-on-one chat. He can’t help but notice that Akari’s responses are kind and thoughtful. She also seems to have that warmth factor that draws everyone towards Aiba, and the friendship between Shuri and Akari was full of hilarity and a lifetime of shared experiences. The two pairs spend the rest of the evening sharing amusing anecdotes about their respective childhoods.

It is, though, hard to avoid the heat lingering in Aiba’s eyes when he looks in Akari’s direction. He is not surprised, at all, when Aiba leans across the table after the girls leave to freshen up before their meals arrive. 

“Hey, Kazu, can I have the apartment tonight? I don’t want Akari-chan to, you know, realize our living situation; I want her to think that I can afford nice things, and I don’t want her to think I’m still that 20 year old that can’t handle his own apartment, but I’m not really flush enough for a hotel right now...” 

The last shreds of Nino’s ability to compartmentalize shatter, but he does his best to not let it show. He nods in Aiba’s direction, and the brilliant grin that crosses the other man’s face just shrivels up whatever remains of appetite Nino had held on to throughout the meal. When their dinners arrive, he picks around his chicken, eating just enough to make his plate unremarkable and being able to join the rest of the party in enthusiasm about the quality of the restaurant. 

He is more than relieved when Aiba picks up the check and chivalrously states that since he is the oldest, he will cover the bill. 

Afterwards, the girls clamor for karaoke but Nino uses the “work in the morning” excuse to separate himself from the group. He acknowledges the grateful look Aiba throws him; bowing out of karaoke means he’ll be able to grab his things for work without causing an awkward moment for Aiba’s seduction of Akari; he chuckles a little as he imagines returning to the apartment with them post-karaoke, just to “grab some little things” before leaving them for the night. The look on Akari’s face when she counts the rooms, then the beds. 

But then, half a block away from the group, his heart catches up with the realization that Akari will be spending the night with Aiba in his bed, and he leans towards the street and vomits out the contents of his stomach. The hardened Tokyo passers-by avert their eyes and mumble about drinking too much this early in the evening, and Nino genuinely wishes it were that simple. 

He makes it to the apartment, making sure to grab the clothes he will work in tomorrow from the closet, taking the rest and tossing them to the shelf above with the hopes that, even if she does somehow end up in the closet, she won’t look twice at the messy space above it. He remembers to grab his toothbrush from the holder by the kitchen sink, and holds it tightly in his hand like a lifeline. 

He is one of the first guests to check into the capsule hotel, since it’s early enough that the trains are still running. As he attempts to sleep, his mind is full of images of Aiba and Akari, twisted together, Aiba’s muscles flexing. Eventually, he crawls out of the capsule and makes a quick visit to the convenience store on the corner, returning to his nest for the night and tossing back a couple of sleep-aid tablets, washing them down with a cool gulp of Sapporo. 

It is going to be a long night, but he’ll make sure he puts this on Aiba’s tab, along with some new sheets. Nino actually quite liked their bedding, he thought of it as Super Mario gold, but it’s figured so predominantly in the evening’s nightmares that he’ll never be able to sleep comfortably on those sheets again.

For the first time ever, in the morning he sleeps through his alarm and is an hour late to work, even though his capsule was practically next door. 

~~~~ 

The next couple of weeks constitute the closest to hell Nino has ever been. At least once a week, Aiba invited him to dinner with him and Akari-chan; often Shuri came along. It was obvious that Aiba wanted him to make a move on Shuri, too. It didn’t help that Aiba had shared his number with Shuri; she tended to message him at least once a week, asking him to join her at karaoke; a bar; a restaurant. Nino always responded that he was busy elsewhere, not wanting to hurt the woman, but also not interested in pursuing anything with her other than a passing acquaintance. Nino felt the pressure, and began to resent Aiba’s insistence; even though he craved the man’s presence more than ever. 

But even those “normal” moments at home seemed strained; if he sat on the loveseat, Aiba had taken to sitting on the floor. If Aiba was already seated, he seemed to creep over into the corner more often than not. The easy physicality that had started their relationship seemed to evaporate overnight, and Aiba had taken to sleeping on the loveseat and abandoning the bed more often than not. Unless, of course, Akari came over...

Nino was pulled from his own thoughts by a slight gasp a couple of tables away. He had recently received an internal promotion; a very slight pay increase paired with more responsibilities at work. Now, once an hour, in addition to making sure that all the books had been returned to the appropriate location, he was also tasked with doing reference rounds; making sure that no patron had an informational need that was not being met. About an hour ago, he had helped Ohno find a book with diagrams of Beyonce-specific dance moves but had not had the time (nor energy, if he was being true to himself) to come back and check on the other man. 

He headed where he had last seen him, only to almost trip on him as he was laying face down on the ground, crawling under the table. Nino dropped down next to him, peering underneath into the darkness, and seeing the blue phone case vibrating just beyond Ohno’s reach. 

Nino crawled to the other side of the table, reaching down and scooping up Ohno’s phone. A quick glance at the screen while handing it over reveals a picture of a middle-aged woman, endearingly entitled “Kaa-chan.” He smiles a bit and hands the phone over to Ohno, who mutters under his breath as the phone stops vibrating. He swipes and hits a button, holding the phone up to his ear quickly. Nino does his best to make pointed stares at the “Please No Phones On This Level” sign right above Ohno’s left shoulder, but the other man is too intent on his call to notice. Knowing that it was his mama, it is difficult for Nino to keep the smirk off his face.

A few seconds later, Ohno’s mother presumably answers and he starts bobbing his head and agreeing at regular intervals. A few moments pass and Nino puts away the books in this general area, keeping an eye on Ohno’s bobbing head. He eventually hears his own name, and is startled as he glances back Ohno’s way; he catches Ohno’s eyes, but Ohno quickly glances away, cheeks reddening as if he is embarrassed. Nino’s curiosity is piqued, and he smiles as he puts the rest of his books away. 

By the time he has finished, Ohno has put away his phone and is sitting very still at the table. Nino heads back to him, settling down in the seat next to him. As he settles in, Ohno sighs and turns his head, once again meeting his eyes briefly before quickly diverting them away. 

“Ah, Kazu-kun,” he says, cheeks reddening again. “My mother asked me to invite you over for dinner, but I know that you are busy…” he trails off, making sure not to meet Nino’s gaze at all. 

Immediately, Nino’s mind thinks of delicious Mom-food. Things like chicken-fried rice, gyoza, homemade miso soup not from the neighborhood convenience store, and for free. Before he even realizes it, he’s nodding assent to join the Ohno family for dinner, handing his phone to Ohno for him to add his contact information. Ohno has sent himself a quick message, just a smiley face, and this causes Nino’s lips to upturn as he puts his phone back into his pocket. 

Ohno gets ready to leave, handing Nino back his book on dance moves while shuffling around and pushing in his chair. 

“I’ll let you know when tomorrow, okay, Kazu-kun?” Ohno’s voice is hesitant, and Nino’s quick to let him know that he’ll be waiting for the message as he waves Ohno out the door. The smile fades, however, when he remembers that he has plans to go out with Aiba and Akari this evening, and for once Shuri wasn’t able to make it as his buffer. 

His mood notably darkened, he leaves the library and heads to the station, hopping aboard the first train taking him towards Chiba. It’s Aiba’s mother’s birthday, and ever since they had become neighbors, the event had become a neighborhood tradition. His offering of a small birthday cupcake from the bakery next door to the library was carefully cradled in his hands, to remain safe during the journey. 

It isn’t until he gets off at the familiar stop for home that his mind fully realizes that he will be seeing his mother this evening. His mother, who is known to be able to ferret out every single lie anyone has ever told him or herself and expose it to the public. His mother, who knew his first crush’s mother before he had ever had the guts to ask her on a date. His mother, who through careful manipulation of the last six years, had never seen him and Aiba together. 

Shit. 

At that moment, a cheerful ding emanated from his pocket, allowing him to put his anxieties on hold and be distracted for at least a moment. He dug around his keys and pulled out his phone, seeing a vaguely familiar number and opening up the message. At first, he just sees a smiley face and a message - “is tomorrow too soon?” It takes a moment for him to remember Ohno’s invitation earlier that evening, and before he forgets, again, he saves the contact as “Oh-chan” before tapping out a response that yes, tomorrow is fine. Chewing on his lip for a moment, he sends a follow up message.

“Ah, I appear to be quite popular with moms this week! I am standing outside Aiba-kun’s door to see his mother on her birthday, and my mother will be here too!” 

He presses send and collects his cupcake, but this time keeping his phone in the other hand. He feels happy with his level of foresight as it dings again. 

“Ah, are your mother and Aiba’s mother also close?” 

Nino spends the walk home chatting with Ohno, telling him about growing up next door to Aiba and their mothers becoming friends. The conversation wanders, and Nino’s at the front door to Aiba’s home as he sends a final text, letting Ohno know that he wasn’t a huge fan of Dragonball in manga form, but loved playing the games. He takes a deep breath, squaring his shoulders before pushing open the door. 

The hearty sound of laughter, a trademark of the Aiba family, echoes through the entry way as Nino toes off his shoes and heads inside. He stops by the kitchen and grabs a piece of fried chicken before heading into the living area. His heart clenches with a newly familiar pain as he immediately spots Aiba and Akari, snuggled together on the couch. He winces briefly, but his pocket dings and he once again answers a text; of course Son Goku is the most powerful in the Dragonball universe. 

Nino spots Aiba’s mom and gives her a brief hug, presenting the cupcake to his “second mama” and wishing her a happy birthday. She squeezes him tight, telling him to make sure he brings himself around home more often, before releasing him and bodily shoving him towards his own mother. 

The celebrations continue, with Aiba’s having just enough beers that he climbs on top of the table to serenade his mother, with delight, applause, and the general encouragement of the small crowd. Aiba’s younger brother catches him as he falls off, and the two fall to the ground in a laughing heap. Akari rushes over, helping Aiba up and brushing off his arms, checking to make sure she’s okay. Aiba is just drunk enough to pull her down and give her a kiss in front of the family, and Nino’s wince does not go unnoticed. 

“It’s hard to see our friends grow up and move on without us,” Nino’s mom says, casually, from right beside his ear. Nino jumps what feels like twenty feet in the air, and his mom’s tinkling laughter fills his ears as he turns to face her. 

“Oh my god, Mom, that’s really not okay,” he says, even though he knows the cause is lost as her tiny form is still bent over from laughter. 

Nino looks at her with fresh eyes, seeing not just the “Mama” of his entire childhood but, also, the wonderful woman she really is. When his dad left when he was nine, it felt like the entire world fell down around them; but, with his mother’s strength and tenacity, the world didn’t end. Sure, they had to move into an apartment closer to the outskirts of the neighborhood, but he and his sister were still able to do all of the things the other kids were able to do. With the insight of his years, he was hit by a wave of love and, when she finally straightens, breathless with laughter, he pulls her into a tight hug. 

“Kazu-chan, what’s wrong?” she asks, squeezing him back for all that she was worth. The words almost, just almost, release the dam in his heart, but he holds on to it with all of his strength. 

“Nothing, Mama, just growing up,” he chuckles a bit, releasing her. She smiles at him, but he can feel the searching in her gaze and is scared, just a bit, when her smile broadens.

“Well, when you are ready, don’t forget to bring him or her home to meet Mom, you know. Just like Aiba-kun,” his mom said, teasing him with a grin. 

“What, Mom, no. What about Aiba-kun?” terrified his secret was exposed, but his Mom just chuckled again. 

“Like Aiba-kun brought sweet Akari-chan home, you know, to meet his mama.” Her eyes shone, and desperately Nino rolled his eyes, anxious to get her on any other topic than this. He cast around, eyes lighting on his sister, and a purely evil grin took control of his face. 

“Mama, I heard that Minami-chan is seeing someone in Tokyo, a lawyer.” He made sure to hold his cackling inside until his mother left earshot, eyes wrinkled and angry as she headed towards her oldest child. 

~ 

Somehow, Nino survived the rest of the evening at “home.” He even survived the awkward moment when Akari got off at the same station and Aiba mouthed an “I’m sorry~” over her head. Familiar now, the dropping of Nino’s heart to his feet just caused him to shuffle on his way instead of vomit into the streets. 

The clerk at the corner store greeted him by name, and Nino threw up a hand in greeting before pulling the Sapporo out of the case and buying yet another packet of sleeping pills. The clerk, familiar with this routine, already had the total ready at the register before his shuffling feet took him there. 

As he climbed into the capsule, he sent one last text message. 

“Thanks for keeping me company today.” 

“Always!”

~ 

The next morning, Nino took his sweet time returning to the apartment. He stopped and grabbed himself a snack from the convenience store, greeting the morning clerk while chugging down a coffee milk. He stopped again in Shiba Park to eat, commandeering a bench while watching various joggers do their thing. 

At about a quarter to ten, his phone dinged and he noticed he had missed a simple text with an address from Ohno earlier this morning; he resolved to check it later. The current ding had come from Aiba, letting him know that it was “safe” to come home and that Aiba would be home all day. Nino sent back a brief response and collected his trash, tossing it in the nearby bin and heading to the apartment. He suddenly felt nervous; this was the first time Aiba had ever indicated the apartment’s “extra” occupant having left. Then again, Nino told himself, it was also the first time that the “morning after” was a Saturday. 

He walked straight into the apartment, tossing his things down in relief on to the loveseat and collapsing next to it. He pulls up his messages and sends a brief note to Ohno, letting him know he had successfully received his address, but closing down the app and putting his phone away when Aiba strode into the room. 

Nino watched in bewildered horror as Aiba descended to his knees in front of Nino, bowing low, before correcting his posture. 

“Kazu-kun, I know we have been friends for a long time…” 

Nino’s worry from earlier descends back up his throat, leaving him speechless as Aiba continues. No, he wants to say. We’re not friends. We’re more than friends, we’re partners, we’re lovers! 

Aiba makes sure he is looking into Nino’s eyes, that Nino is listening to him before he starts the next part. 

“Akari-chan and I, we have decided to start living together. I know that you’ve been staying with me, that we have been exceedingly close,” Aiba’s eyes shift to the sides, and Nino knows at this moment that Aiba has been aware that this was coming for a while. 

“But Akari-chan is important to me, Kazu, and she wouldn’t understand,” his voice is overcome with emotion, and Nino has to glance away from the tears brimming in Aiba’s eyes. “You’re important too, of course, but Akari-chan…” 

Nino doesn’t stay to hear the rest. He leaves the couch, heading into the closet and pulling his clothes down from the top shelf, where they had remained after the last time he had hidden himself, their relationship, the extent of their “friendship” from Akari. His eyes are full as he shoves the clothes into his duffel bag, pulling his books and games off the shelf and grabbing his pillow. 

He heads to the living room, tripping to the TV, unhooking his Famicom with as much care as he can handle and putting it in his bag. He has to go through the kitchen, past Aiba, to get out the door. He stands for a minute, taking in a deep breath, before pushing his way through, eyes averted. But, he is met with silence, and he stands still for a moment taking in his home of the last nine years. 

He pulls out his keyring and is about to take his key off the chain, when he realizes that the chain matches Aiba’s, is the frog-shaped green metal that is also on Aiba’s keychain. He just drops the entire ring on the counter, shifting his duffel bag and heading out the door. He tries his hardest not to slam it as he goes, but he may not have been terribly successful. 

He doesn’t know where Aiba went, and at the moment, he doesn’t care. 

He taps him a quick message on the way to the station, mind going a million miles a minute and his heart left on the bedroom floor. 

“You can keep the couch.” 

~ 

Nino shows up at Ohno’s house four minutes after the previously-agreed-upon time. Ohno expected this, because with the way the trains run it makes perfect sense. He smiles a little to know that Nino didn't dally or waste time on his walk around. It brightens his soul a bit. 

However, as Ohno watches Nino interact with his mom, head cocked slightly to the side, eyes narrowed in concentration, it does not seem like he has had a good day. Nino, Ohno reflects, has a particular spring to his step that is absent tonight; like he usually finds life funny but today was told a clown he had followed for years had died. He is polite and attentive, but barely offers any funny stories of his own or of his day. Ohno can see that his aura is a little darker, that he is carrying a heavy weight. 

In his usual way, Ohno lets it go. He doesn’t feel any particular urgency in Nino’s direction, and besides, it is the first time the man is meeting Ohno’s mother; that is stress inducing for most. She tends to fuss, and as Satoko-san hovers around Nino, making his coffee and clearing his plate, Ohno smiles to see a little of the stress leave Nino’s shoulders as he submits to the mothering. 

After dinner, however, is when things get real. Satoko herds them into the living room, settling Nino down on the middle of the couch and summoning Ohno over to help her shift the table to one side. Ohno sighs a little; this may be too much for the first evening of casual acquaintance, but Satoko is rarely wrong. 

Satoko explains to Nino that in her younger years, she was a professional dancer, and Nino’s eyes grow wide. She briefly explains the story of how she met “Satoshi’s dear, departed, father” and Ohno winces a little at the dramatic story - his dad isn’t dead, he’s visiting Hong Kong for business. Nino’s mouth downturns in sympathy, but Ohno’s insistent head shaking really carry the right message. 

Ohno can’t help but smirk as he thinks of the entertainment his mother has planned for this evening; there is no way that Nino could have ever been prepared, and maybe the absurdity will knock him out of his funk. 

“Alright, Kazu-chan, are you ready for the first public performance of Ohno Satoshi dancing to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You?’” 

Nino’s mouth drops open a little as Ohno groans at the song selection, stretching as his mother walks over to the stereo. She queues up the music and steps to the side, leaving center stage to Ohno. He makes the best apologetic face he can in Nino’s direction before the first beats drop from the speakers.

The club isn’t the best place to find a lover

Ohno’s body starts moving, displaying a grace he had previously kept hidden, not finding a real use for it while watching Nino in the library. 

Your love was handmade for somebody like me

His eyes meet Nino’s, and he is surprised to find that the other man rapidly blinking back tears; a spin, and he sees his mother, staring at Nino with worry in her eyes. 

I’m in love with the shape of you

Nino leaps off the couch, grabbing his coat and heading toward the door. He calls an apology behind him, but the fact that his voice is choked up and garbled makes it difficult to understand. 

He’s gone before the last beat of the music fades. 

~

Nino’s on the train when his phone dings, and the small sound reminds him that he’s actually heading the wrong way. He curses and pushes his way through the people gathered on the train for a quick journey home from whatever fun they had that day. He was resentful, and irritated, and distinctly not happy with anything; feeling uncomfortable in his very skin.

He gets off at the next stop, angry at himself and cursing Aiba’s general flightiness. His bag is in the locker at the usual capsule hotel, and he’s now an extra twenty minutes away from his new “home” and the mindlessness of sleep. 

It’s during the interminable wait for the train going in the opposite direction that he remembers the ding of his phone, now a solid fifteen minutes ago. He fishes it out of his pocket, grumbling at the swipe but feeling genuinely thankful; at least he hadn’t stayed on autopilot until he walked in the door to catch Aiba and Akari in a lover’s embrace, or worse, watching the Tigers play. The thought itself makes his stomach sink like a stone, and he spends several minutes breathing in and out through his mouth to keep from throwing up. 

Eventually, he pulls himself together enough to go ahead and check the message. Nothing terribly exciting, but definitely anxiety inducing; Ohno, his work patron and new friend, texting to see if he’s okay after he unceremoniously abandoned him (and his mother, the little voice in the back of his head whispers) after he witnessed him perform the hottest dance paired with a song that dug under Nino’s skin and scraped against his raw nerves. 

Nino chewed on his lip, trying to find just the right words to not cause himself any further embarrassment. His usual fall-by, that his stomach had suddenly gotten upset, would just imply that Satoko-san’s cooking had caused the ailment, and his thoughts were warm for the older lady. He decided on a simple truth, and went with that. 

“Had a personal problem I had to take care of.” 

A few moments later, the phone vibrated and Nino pulled up the messaging app again.  
“Oh, understood. Anything I can help with?” 

Nino put the phone in his pocket, full of thoughts of Ohno’s hips gyrating, mixed with painful thoughts of Aiba. He pretended to himself that he had not seen the message, arriving at the capsule hotel and heading to his tube. 

The shocks of the day proved too great for Nino to remain awake, and he folded in on himself in the small bed within the capsule; he continued to miss the warmth of Aiba’s body next to him, but the level of exhaustion and betrayal he currently felt was enough to push the thoughts out of his head without too much trouble this time. 

Just before he drifted to sleep, his mind returned to his problems again, like a tongue pushing against a broken tooth. Was Aiba missing him as much? Was Aiba missing him at all? Suddenly, he had an epiphany; there was one way to find out, but it would require engaging with the enemy. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he tapped out, closing his eyes before Shuri answered.

~~

Nino woke up the next morning to a text from Shuri, inviting him to come with her to karaoke that afternoon. He spent the morning contacting rental agencies, looking to see if he could find a new apartment close to work. He had a bit of money set aside for a rainy day, collections of 5 yen coins in jars that he would need to collect from Aiba eventually. 

He ended up finding a small apartment even closer to work; it was nicer, with its own bathroom, and the 1LDK came with living room furnishings. Even still, Nino still felt a bit nauseous when he remembered how much he had to take out of savings for his own double bed and the small end table and lamp he had added to his order at the last minute. 

If he was honest with himself, a small voice betrayed him inside, he had seen this coming. He quickly squashed the thought, throwing on the casual outfit he had tossed in his bag and heading to meet Shuri at the anime-themed karaoke joint on the corner. 

Shuri’s attention was soothing in a way that Aiba’s had never been, and Nino felt more relaxed than he had in a very long time. He didn’t feel the same pressure to be energetic, or clever, or immediately respond to something silly that his company had said. 

There was also not the pressure that had built up, the need to find something to talk about. Since Aiba and Nino had known each other so long, it was refreshing to talk about his favorite television shows or manga rather than come up with something new that may have happened to him that day. 

Shuri liked energetic, boppy, songs, and Nino was surprised to find an hour in that he was having a whole lot of fun. She was helping to keep his mind off of all the sore places in his heart, and he owed her a debt of gratitude. 

“Thanks for agreeing to spend time with me on such short notice,” Nino said, following Shuri’s over-enthusiastic yet atonal rendition of “Cheerfulness” by some pop band called Storm. “I know you probably had better things to do.”

“Nah, not really,” Shuri collapsed on the couch next to him, tossing him the mic and grinning. “Akari-chan’s been spending so much time with Aiba-kun, I’ve definitely had some time to make a new friend.”

“Ah, yeah, it has been quite an adjustment.” Nino’s heart clenched a little bit at his words, and he was hoping that the feeling had not appeared on his face in a wince. 

“I mean, it was me and Akari-chan for forever, you know?” emboldened by someone who could understand, Shuri was quick to dive in to a conversation Nino wasn’t sure he ever wanted to have. “From the time we first started school, we’ve been inseparable.”

Nino hums in agreement, grabbing a fried prawn and dipping it into tartar sauce, rolling the mic against his thigh with the other hand. 

“Sometimes, I thought it would be just her and I forever…” Nino recognizes the far away look in her eye, looking back on memories that would always belong to just Shuri and Akari. He feels emboldened, flipping through the song catalog until he found just the right song. 

Shuri smiled as the first strains of the song filled the room. Nino felt immediately relieved; if someone recognized a song from a Final Fantasy soundtrack, they were meant to be friends. 

“I know that you’re hiding things, using gentle words to shelter me”

Nino poured everything he was feeling into the song he was singing; the betrayal, the decades of friendship, how much he just missed his friend. 

“I acted so distant then, didn’t say goodbye before you left”  
“But now I’m not afraid to say what’s in my heart” 

As the last words were rung out of him, he didn’t realize he was crying until Shuri handed him a tissue. 

“You loved him, didn’t you?” Nino didn’t even bother to respond, the truth evident in his anguish. Shuri’s face was a mirror of his own; she pulled him close, ignoring the fact that they hadn’t been friends until today, cradling his head on her shoulder, rubbing his back, letting the tears make their way through him. The horrible discordance of the pop tunes playing on loop in the background finally filtered through and he sat up, shredding the tissue in his hand and unable to look Shuri in the eye. 

“To say we were merely friends… even best friends… is doing the extent of our relationship a disservice.” He forced the words up his throat and out, finding a hint of consolation in his confession. “We were lovers, since I graduated high school until he met Akari-san. We shared the apartment until recently, but maybe I can still get him back.” 

Shuri’s gasp next to him was evidence of his acting abilities, and he chuckled a little bit at how stupid he had been to hide his own emotions from everyone. Shuri squeezed his hand, thumb running circles on its back, as she gently reached over and tilted his chin until his eyes met hers. 

He had never noticed the warm caramel color of her eyes before, the sympathy shining bright as her eyes welled with tears of their own. 

“Nino-kun,” uncustomary hesitance colored Shuri’s voice, but she refused to release his eyes. “You can’t, they’re getting married.”

Nino’s heart stopped, and Shuri’s eyes widened in her tear-streaked face. Nino’s face lost all of it’s color, and Shuri must have been able to see that this was news to him from the sudden change in her demeanor. 

“I can’t believe he didn’t tell you.” 

Nino struggled to hold himself together, reeling. Only yesterday morning, it had still seemed that the longevity of their relationship would have him coming out the victor in the battle for Aiba’s heart. Sure, Akari had caught Aiba’s eye, but everyone with an ounce of interesting character ended up Aiba’s friend by the end of the day…

Suddenly, he remembered the warmth that came from Akari’s smile; the same warmth he had received from Aiba’s. He recalled countless conversations Aiba had started that Nino just hadn’t been interested in and let lapse, about exercise and running and weight lifting stances. In the same breath, he conjured up Aiba sharing those exact same conversations with Akari, how she was engaged and bright and excited to be talking about squats. How Akari would bring up some weird thing about dinosaurs, and Aiba would eat it up; how proud Aiba was that he was dating a paleobiologist. 

Aiba had never been a magpie, and Akari had never been just something shiny. 

Stunned with the realization, Nino pushed himself up from the couch and headed towards the door. Shuri scooped up Nino’s phone and pressed it into his hand.

“Call him, please.” 

Nino dropped the phone, barely hearing Shuri’s curse as she scooped it up from the floor behind him. He raced blindly out the door and down the stairs of the karaoke establishment. He was lucky, arriving at the train station just in time, and got on the train to his old place. Calling wouldn’t answer his questions; wouldn’t fill the gaping void in his heart. 

By the time he got off the train, he already regretted leaving his phone behind; he wasn’t sure that this was really what he wanted to do, but also knew if he didn’t confront him now, he would never do it. He rang the bell, breathing heavy, and almost fell in the door when Aiba pulled it open. 

“Aiba-kun, we have to talk. Is Akari-chan here?”

Aiba shook his head no, wordlessly making space for Nino to come inside. As he entered, his brain catalogued all of the changes Akari had made to the place already: there was a new covering on the loveseat; the assorted beer cans Aiba had been “collecting” had been cleaned off the windowsill; there were paintings hanging above the TV and flowers on the table. 

“I assume Shuri-san told you?” Aiba’s voice rung hollow, and Nino turned to look at him, the man he had loved since he was 7 years old. His chest felt empty when he realized the past tense in his words, he had loved Aiba, that was true, but the emotion had changed; maybe it hadn’t been love, but infatuation paired with closeness. But whatever it was, the pain now came less from Aiba choosing to marry Akari; it was more because he hadn’t told Nino. 

“Why didn’t I hear it from you?” 

“Because I knew you would freak out, Kazu-kun! You’ve been acting weird since Akari-chan and I started dating.” 

“That’s because…” Nino’s voice trailed off, not quite sure that he wanted to voice the emotions that had become unnecessary, washed away by something else. Something he wasn’t quite sure he could put his finger on yet. 

“I know, Nino.” The earnestness in Aiba’s voice pulled Nino out of his thoughts, and Aiba’s gaze was sincere. “But you and I… I’m sorry if it ever seemed like I had made promises, Nino, but I hadn’t.” 

Nino couldn’t help but nod his agreement; Aiba had no part in Nino’s heart’s cruel conclusions. 

“I should have cleared it up sooner,” Aiba continued. “But I wasn’t sure I’d ever have to… I mean, I love you, just not quite like that.” 

Aiba headed in his direction, and Nino stood still as the man embraced him in a hug. “You will always be my best friend, Kazu, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you more than that.” 

Nino nodded, but his arms creeped around Aiba’s body, pulling him close. Aiba’s hand rubbed soothing circles on Nino’s back as he wept for the loss of a dream he hadn’t really been aware that he had until it was too late. 

Ultimately, Nino had to pull back, had to walk away. But this time, his heart was rebuilding itself; he was no longer caught on a rock in the stream. He felt relieved to have his “secret” out in the open. 

After, Aiba invited Nino to watch the game. He smiled, heart in his throat, but instead asked for a rain check instead. A few moments later, Akari came home, arm-in-arm with Shuri, and threw together a late lunch for the foursome as the awkwardness dissipated. New hope sprang to life in his soul; maybe this was a new future, and maybe he was okay with it. As the hour began to creep towards evening, he stepped out to use the restroom before he headed for home. On his way back, Shuri passed him in the hallway on her way out the door and tossed him his phone. He replied to her sparkling, happy eyes with a not-too-wobbly smile of his own. 

He stepped back into the apartment that he used to call home, shouting out a quick goodbye and smirking as Akari-chan pulled the remote out of Aiba’s hand, changing from the rev up to the Tigers game to a nature documentary on velociraptors. He felt a little better that Aiba’s new life wasn’t going to be perfect. 

As he walked home again, his phone rang. He hit the button, putting the phone to his head to catch the tail end of his boss’s panicked speech - Murakami had called in sick, again, and Nino was the only one to answer his phone at all. The library staff had been able to juggle his duties for the first part of the day, but now they were shifting to Murakami’s night shift and everyone was ready to get off of work. Nino groaned, realizing that he had been caught, and let his boss know he was going to stop by his new apartment to change his clothes but he would be right in. 

He walked in the back door of the library, checking in with his boss, who let him know that Murakami had the reference shift. Nino worked hard not to groan in front of the head of the library. The reference shift meant that Nino was going to be on the reference desk for the next four hours. Grumbling under his breath and cursing the “sick” Murakami, Nino headed that way; preparing himself mentally to answer questions on really obscure subject matter for the foreseeable future. Sure, it was a professional level up for him, but he really didn’t want to field some of the more strange questions he had heard the legends of; how fast does an unladen swallow fly; what role did Japan play in the Vietnamese war… 

As he walked towards the desk, he was surprised to find Ohno at a small research table a few short feet away from where he will be stationed. His steps quicken, suddenly excited about the shift; at least with Ohno here, he knows that the topics will probably be interesting. 

As he comes up next to the table, Ohno becomes aware of his presence hovering over him and glances up with a slight smile. The same smile he used when thanking his mother for cooking dinner for Nino the evening he had spent with them. Also, the same smile that had faded when the first beats of Ed Sheeran’s song had started coming out of the stereo; right before his hips started moving sinuously. Just the memory raises goosebumps along Nino’s arms. 

Nino shakes his head to get rid of the images, already finding a joke to laugh off any tension from their last encounter. He’s surprised to see that the chair next to Ohno is already pulled out as Ohno gestures towards it in invitation. He slumps down to the table, eyes flitting guiltily towards the Reference Desk but figuring if anyone has a question, he’ll be able to help from there.

He reaches out his arm, tugging the book that Ohno has been perusing out from underneath the other man’s palms. He’s met with an unexpected resistance, and his startled glance upward catches a rather intense expression on Ohno’s face before he releases the book. Nino flips it open to the first page, realizing it’s a sketchbook as he recognizes the library’s outside facade in graceful lines. He casts Ohno a questioning gaze, and receives a slight shrug in response as the other man simply closes the notebook and slides it into his bag. 

The rest of the night passes in much the same manner; Ohno sharing excerpts from a show he and Satoko had watched the night before, where the celebrity guests had to guess a popular song from the first few beats, recreated in what sounded like a piano track from the early ‘90’s. Occasionally, a few brave patrons appeared at the desk with questions that Nino helped them answer. 

As it grew closer to closing time, Ohno began shifting nervously back and forth in his seat. Nino knocked his shoulder against his, musing at the different sensation caused by doing the motion to someone who was of the same height. Ohno chuffed, and Nino turned his body towards him, eyebrows arched. 

“Is Aiba-san going to pick you up tonight?” 

Nino’s heart is not quite ready to voice the answer to that question, so he just shook his head. Ohno leaned against the Registration Desk proper as Nino started closing down the computers and going through the rest of the closing procedures. Nino smiled as he realized that Ohno was humming quietly under his breath, unable to contain his musicality for very long. 

Nino’s phone dinged, and he felt lighter when he saw the message from Shuri. She had sent him a simple .gif of a cheerful golden retriever puppy, and he smiled down at his phone before turning it so that Ohno could see as well. 

“Shuri-san?” 

“Oh, yeah, she’s Aiba’s fiance’s best friend.” 

Ohno’s body stiffened next to him, and Nino couldn’t help but look at him funny. Ohno shook his head, and when he resumed walking even Nino noticed that he seemed more relaxed, more graceful and fluid. 

“I thought you and Aiba were…” 

“Nope. Just friends.” His breath hitches a little, but Nino is proud of himself for being able to say it. For meaning it.

They walked in step all the way to the train station; it was only when they walked through the turnstile that Nino realized that this train wouldn’t take Ohno home. 

“Where are you headed?” 

Ohno blinked, confused for a moment, then a little embarrassed. “I don’t know.” He admitted at last. “I somehow ended up following you.” 

Nino laughed, threading his fingers through Ohno’s jovially. “Come on then, follow me.”


End file.
